Clarinet music lyre



1mJ.DENN$ v CLARINET MUSIC LYRE Filed Oct. 6, 1923 v AV Patented May 26, 1925.

LEONARD JOSEPH DENNIS, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CLARINET MUSIC LYRE.

Application filed October 6, 1923. Serial No. 666,987.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD J. DENNIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of lV-ayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ,Clarinet Music Lyres; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification. 1 y

This invention is an improvement in sheet music holders or lyres, for woodwind musical instruments, particularly adapted for use on clarinets of the Boehm system (but may be if desired used on any other system of clarinets such as theAlbert system also on an E-fiat clarinet).

One object of the invention is to provide a music lyre mounted on an extension rod which is longitudinally adjustable of the instrument thereby enabling the player to adjust the position of the sheet of music longitudinally of the instrument to suit his particularvision. g 7

Another object is to, provide a novel spring catch for retaining the lyre fork in open? position when said fork is opened, until the catch is manually released to allow the fork to close and bind the music in place in the lyre. This feature is especially useful when the player is on the march, as it .gaged with the lower end thereof, insert or remove a sheet of music from the lyre, and release the catch to allow the fork to close,

thereby binding the music in the lyre. i A further object of the invention is to provide a novel music lyre and attaching means whlch may be readily and easily taken instrument casebeside the instrument itself. A still further ob ect is to providea novel music lyre which may be used on any type of clarinet and when used on an E-fiat clarinet (which instrument is very short) the lyre extension rod may be reversed, in the ring post in order to bring the lyre to the side of the ring post-farthest away from the player so that the player may bring the music sheet into his correct vision. Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof to enable others to adopt and use the same, and will'summarize in the claims the novel features of construction and novel combinations of parts for; which protection is de* sired.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a. clarinet of the Boehm type provided with my novel music lyre.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective of the music lyre and adjusting means detached from the clarinet.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the lyre.

Fig. l is a side elevation ofFig. 3.

Fig. .5 is an enlarged elevation of the ringpost. j

As shown in the drawings, my novel music lyre for clarinets or other woodwind 1nn sical instruments comprises a lyre shaped back member 1 on one face of which are mounted two lugs 1 which are adapted to house a horizontally disposed shaft 1 upon which is hingedly mounteda lyre-fork 1 of the usual form. Aroundfhe shaft 1" is a coiledspring 1" adapted to engage the back 1 and fork 1, to cause the top of fork 1 to press normally against the top of back 1, in. the usual manner, for frictionally holding a sheet of music therebetween. I The lower end of the fork 1 is provided with a depending tongue 1 which, when pressed towards the back member 7 1, is adapted to be engaged by aspring catch (hereinafter described) for the purpose of holding the fork in open position until said catch is depressed by the player to release the tongue 1 thereby all-owing the fork to return by the actionof spring 1} to .its normally closed position. apart, folded together, and placed in the mountedin any desired manner at one end of a horizontally disposed extension rod 8, which rod is ad ustably mounted on the up per end of a. r1ngpost l (hereinafter described) which ring post is attachedto the bell C of the clarinet or other instrument the purpose of binding the rod 3 carrying the lyre to the post 4 on the clarinet to suit the vision of the player.

At the lower end-of post 4 and integral therewith is a split ring at of diameter to suit the bell C or other part of the clarinet C to which the lyre is to be attached, said split ring 4 having complementary taped lugs e on both sides of the split adapted to receive a thumb-screw 4t for the purpose of contracting the split-ring around said bell My novel spring catch for holdingthe lyre fork in open position is preferably made of sheet metal having a back portion 5 securely attached to the lyre back 1 (or hinge member 2) and the lower end of part 5 is bent outwardly and upwardly as at 5 and then outwardly and downwardly to form a lip 5 adapted to be engaged by the tongue 1 of the fork. \Vhen the tongue 1 is pressed towards thelyre back 1 the lower end of said tongue will engagethe upper face of the lip pressing downwardly as said tongue moves inwardly, until the tongue passes over the inner end of said lip, and into the bowed portion of the catch, at which time lip 5 will spring upwardly preve-nting the tongue 1 from being'returned by the action of the spring 1. The outer end of the lip 5 is preferably rolledback on itself as at 5? to give a neat and finished appearance thereto, and also to prevent pinching of the players thumb when depressing the lip to release the tongue The music lyre, rod and ringpOst, and all parts thereof may be made of any suitable metal, preferably Gr'erman silver. or brass, and the exposed surfaces thereof are preferably nickle plated or otherwise finished. I

My novel music lyre is adjustable longitudinally of the instrument to suit the particular vision of the player, and is, especially adapted to be used on a Boehm system clarinet with the ringpost clamped around the bell thereof, but may, if desired, be used on other-systems of elarinets'or similar instruments such as the Albert system, or even on an E-flat clarinet.

' When the lyre is to be used on an E-flat clarinet (which instrument is very short) the rod 3 may be reversed in the slot P so as to bring the lyre at the end of the rod 3 farthest away from .the player. Screw 2 may then be loosened so as to swing the lyre 180 from the position shown in Fig. 1 in order to bring the fork 1 facing the player.

There are ordinarily but two places on a clarinet to which the ring post l may read ily be attached, one being the ring C at the center-joint which is usually too close for proper vision, and the other being the ring C atthe bell which is generally too far away for proper vision, and,as described my lyre may be adjusted longitudinally of the instrument to bringthe sheet of music into correct position to suit the vision of the playerp Extension rod 3 does not in any way interfere withv the players fingers as the. post l is preferably attached to the instrument beyond the players fingers of his right hand.

It is diliicult while marching to open the usual music lyre and insert music therein, as such requires the use of both hands, but my novel spring catch enables the player to hold the instrument with one hand, and with his other hand to open the fork'until the tongue 1 passes over .the lip 5, insert the music in the lyre and depress the lip 5 to allow the fork to return'to closed position.

.My novel catch may be applied to any music lyre and I do not care to limit my invention to use with clarinet music lyres.

hat I claim is:

1. A music-holding lyre comprising a back member adapted to be mounted on a support; alyre fork pivotally mounted on said back member, spring means for normally pressing the upper end of said fork against said back member; a spring catch mounted on said back member and having a portion wherebyas said fork is opened the lower edge thereof will engage said spring and the latter will hold said fork in open position until the spring is disengaged from the fork by the player.

A' music-holding lyre comprising a back member adapted to be mounted on a support; a lyr e fork piv-otally mounted on said back member, spring means for normally pressing the upper end of said for: against said back member; a sheet metal spring catch attached to said back member and having a downwardly bowed portion at its lower end and a lip on the outer free end of said bowed portion, whereby as said fork is opened its lower edge engages anddepresses said lip until'said lower edge passes beyond said lip and o-versaid bowed portion, thereby retaining said fork in open position until the lip is manually depressed.

o. A music-holder for wind musical iustruments, comprising a'post adapted to be mounted on the instrument; an extension rod adjustably mounted on said post; a member hingedly mounted on said extension rod; a lyre back .member mounted on the said hinge member; a lyre fork pivotally mounted on said back member, a spring for normally pressing the upper end of said fork against the back member; and means for retaining the fork in open position against the action of said springnvhen the fork is opened.

at. A music-holder for Clarinets comprising a post, means for mounting the post upon the bell of said clarinet; a reversible rod adjustably mounted on said post; a member hingedly mounted on said extension rod; a lyre back member on said hinge member; a lyre fork pivotally mounted on the said back member, spring means for normally pressing the upper end of said fork against the back member; and a catch for retaining the fork in open position against the action of said spring when the fork is opened. i

5. Av music-holder for wind musical instruments, comprising a post adapted to be mounted on the instrument and having a head provided with non-circular bore; a reversible rod of non-circular cross section ad justably mounted in said bore; means for fastening said rod in the bore; a member hingedly mounted on said rod; a lyre back member mounted on said hinge member; a

lyre fork pivotally mounted on the face of said back member, a spring for normally pressing the upper end of said lyre fork against the back member; and a catch for holding the fork in open position against the action of said spring when the fork is .opened until the catchis manually disengaged from the fork.

6. In combination with a music lyre having a back portion and a lyre fork pivotally mounted on said back portion said fork having a depending tongue on its lower edge and having spring means for normally pressing the upper end of said fork against said back member; a catch for holding the fork in open position comprising a sheet steel spring attached to said back member and having a downwardly bowed portion at its lower end and a lip beyond said bowed portion, whereby as said fork is being opened the tongue thereof will engage said lip and depress same until said tongue passes beyond said lip and over said downwardly bowed portion, thereby retaining said fork in open position until said lip is manually depressedto restore said fork to closed position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I aflix my signature.

LEONARD JOSEPH DENNIS. 

